Looking for women's low-rise lounge pants or joggers
October 16, 2020 3:04 PM Subscribe
I am in search of women's low-rise (7-8 inch rise) comfy lounge pants or joggers, which is proving frustrating in 2020. The lowest styles I can seem to find are mid-/ medium-rise pants, but because of my body proportions, these end up uncomfortably high on me. I'm looking for online options that ship to Canada, and I'm very willing to pay more for good quality and ethical manufacturing; my preferred fabrics would be natural (cotton, bamboo, wool) or a blend with at least some natural fibre content.
More sizing info: I'm short and petite, just over 5 feet tall and just under 120 lbs. I have a bloated stomach most days and suffer from acid reflux so I cannot have tight waistbands but I also don't want my pants to fall down on me.
Note: In my pre-pandemic, in-person shopping experience, anything labelled "regular rise" means mid-/medium-rise and will fit me like high-waisted pants. Where rise isn't specified, it also tends to be at least mid-rise. I can't just go by the way things look on the model in the picture, either, because my own rise is a lot shorter than the average person's, never mind models who often have a longer rise than average.
More sizing info: I'm short and petite, just over 5 feet tall and just under 120 lbs. I have a bloated stomach most days and suffer from acid reflux so I cannot have tight waistbands but I also don't want my pants to fall down on me.
Note: In my pre-pandemic, in-person shopping experience, anything labelled "regular rise" means mid-/medium-rise and will fit me like high-waisted pants. Where rise isn't specified, it also tends to be at least mid-rise. I can't just go by the way things look on the model in the picture, either, because my own rise is a lot shorter than the average person's, never mind models who often have a longer rise than average.
Low-rise anything is so hard to find. Would maternity leggings work, the kind that go under the bump, not over it? These are from Gap Canada, although they don’t show how low-cut they are.
posted by corey flood at 7:09 PM on October 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by corey flood at 7:09 PM on October 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
I have similar proportions and belly issues as well. Aerie has very comfortable lounge pants (like these)with a drawstring. They are high rise but I loosen the draw string so there is no pressure. They can also be folded down under your belly. The fabric content isn't ideal but I haven't come across many other options. I did buy some linen drawstring pants from etsy but the waistband is a very firm, tight elastic. I'm considering cutting the wasitband and removing the elastic to make it more comfortable.
posted by mokeydraws at 8:03 PM on October 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by mokeydraws at 8:03 PM on October 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
Maybe it's obvious but have you tried stores that sell petites? One of the proportions that petite sizes scale down is the rise, so a petite regular or mid rise is like a standard low rise. Gap Canada (and related brands Old Navy and Banana Republic) has joggers in petite sizes, I am also petite and short waisted and their petites usually fit me in the rise. Same with J. Crew though I'm not sure if they have petite loungewear currently.
Unfortunately my experience has been that there is basically no overlap between retailers who sell petites and those who make an effort towards ethical manufacturing. Maybe try these from Alternative Apparel (regular size, but appears lower rise)? I'd keep an eye on Everlane (which has some petites, just not lounge pants right now) too.
Last, if you want to go the secondhand route, I've found poshmark is pretty active in Canada, I've had better luck there than ebay.
posted by AV at 4:43 AM on October 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
Unfortunately my experience has been that there is basically no overlap between retailers who sell petites and those who make an effort towards ethical manufacturing. Maybe try these from Alternative Apparel (regular size, but appears lower rise)? I'd keep an eye on Everlane (which has some petites, just not lounge pants right now) too.
Last, if you want to go the secondhand route, I've found poshmark is pretty active in Canada, I've had better luck there than ebay.
posted by AV at 4:43 AM on October 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
Oh and if price is no object, Eileen Fisher does have petite joggers and has an ethical manufacturing commitment.
posted by AV at 5:02 AM on October 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by AV at 5:02 AM on October 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I recommend Ureshii, a Canadian company run by two women who will make lounge pants and joggers to your measurements. Most of their fabrics are merino and bamboo. The pants I have ordered from them are the most comfortable I've ever worn.
posted by telophase at 11:02 AM on October 17, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by telophase at 11:02 AM on October 17, 2020 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you for the great suggestions, everyone! They are all things I would not have thought of on my own. I’ve now checked out ThredUp and Poshmark, and while I really like how you can specifically narrow down your searches on ThredUp, unfortunately there’s only an American site with prohibitively high duty charges and shipping rates to Canada. Poshmark’s search is less good but there’s a Canadian site so the shipping is more affordable.
I will definitely check out the other suggestions too, but I’m most intrigued by Ureshii, which I’ve seen recommended on here before but had forgotten about!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 1:29 PM on October 17, 2020
I will definitely check out the other suggestions too, but I’m most intrigued by Ureshii, which I’ve seen recommended on here before but had forgotten about!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 1:29 PM on October 17, 2020
Behold my favourite pants for the last three years: Black Diamond Notion . I love them so much that I now have them in light grey, dark grey, purple and yellow and wear a pair just about every day. The oldest pair have patched knees and I will keep them as long as I can. The "old" and "new" versions are a little different but both have a low rise. I'm 5'4", 125lbs wear a size S. The rise is exactly 8" (I wash in a regular wash and dry on medium heat in the dryer).
posted by Cuke at 7:52 AM on October 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Cuke at 7:52 AM on October 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Okay, so I have perused the options that everyone suggested above, and in the end ordered these lounge pants from Ureshii. It’s quite a cool system: you fill out a form with all your measurements, choose your fabric and colour and specify anything else you want (I asked for an 8 inch rise) and then they make them and send them to you. I ordered multiple pairs in different fabrics and they suggested I try on the first pair and let them know how they fit, and after that they’ll make the rest with any adjustments I want. The women are lovely to deal with and it makes me feel happy to be supporting a small, woman-owned business.
Bonus: they’re a Canadian company so I don’t have to deal with customs/duty or exchange rate.
Apparently my first pair are already done and on their way! I’ll come back and update after they arrive.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:24 PM on October 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
Bonus: they’re a Canadian company so I don’t have to deal with customs/duty or exchange rate.
Apparently my first pair are already done and on their way! I’ll come back and update after they arrive.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:24 PM on October 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: So my first pair arrived (hemp), and they are really well made and comfortable! They are made to the exact measurements I sent in, and they fit me well. I am super impressed, given that they obviously could not have me try them on while they were making them. I totally recommend including a full length photo of yourself in relatively close-fitting clothes; it seems to help a lot with the fitting.
The hemp material is comfy and soft, and I think they'll be good for wearing indoors in cooler weather, and outdoors in warmer weather. The waistband is a dream: wide and flat with no pinching or squeezing or discomfort regardless of my state of bloat for the day; no coming up to my ribcage, yet they cling nicely to my hips and I don't feel like they're going to fall off either. Also: POCKETS!!!
I've been in touch with the women about a minor tweak for the next two pairs, and I am really looking forward to getting them. They have been so quick to respond and pleasant to deal with!
If you can afford the initial layout, I would highly, highly recommend this company. I know I will be wearing these pants for many years to come. (They are stretchy so I think they will weather any minor weight changes, too.)
Thank you so much telophase for recommending Ureshii! I can see why you are so enthusiastic. I've already recommended them to a couple of my friends.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 3:39 PM on November 1, 2020
The hemp material is comfy and soft, and I think they'll be good for wearing indoors in cooler weather, and outdoors in warmer weather. The waistband is a dream: wide and flat with no pinching or squeezing or discomfort regardless of my state of bloat for the day; no coming up to my ribcage, yet they cling nicely to my hips and I don't feel like they're going to fall off either. Also: POCKETS!!!
I've been in touch with the women about a minor tweak for the next two pairs, and I am really looking forward to getting them. They have been so quick to respond and pleasant to deal with!
If you can afford the initial layout, I would highly, highly recommend this company. I know I will be wearing these pants for many years to come. (They are stretchy so I think they will weather any minor weight changes, too.)
Thank you so much telophase for recommending Ureshii! I can see why you are so enthusiastic. I've already recommended them to a couple of my friends.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 3:39 PM on November 1, 2020
Response by poster: So I’ve received my second and third pair and they are wonderful too. The fit was good on the first pair and is even better on these. I believe I’ll be living in them for a long while, just rotating between the three.
A+++, would definitely buy again. Ureshii is the real deal! I’d recommend them to anyone who finds it hard to buy well fitting clothes off the rack and is able to put a bit more money into buying clothes.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:53 PM on November 12, 2020
A+++, would definitely buy again. Ureshii is the real deal! I’d recommend them to anyone who finds it hard to buy well fitting clothes off the rack and is able to put a bit more money into buying clothes.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:53 PM on November 12, 2020
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posted by apparently at 4:58 PM on October 16, 2020 [2 favorites]